Shadow of Nara [99]

The devastating attack Rock Lee unleashed—infused with the full power of his opened Gates—sent Gaara hurtling toward the ground at terrifying speed. Even as the jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Shukaku, the impact was severe enough that it could have seriously injured him.

But Lee wasn't unscathed either. The backlash from opening multiple gates was already taking a toll. His right arm and right leg, the primary limbs used in his final strike, throbbed with excruciating pain—he could feel something was broken. Worse still, Gaara's Sand Armor had absorbed part of the blow, transferring the recoil back into Lee's own body.

By now, the watching genin had grown numb to the deafening crashes and thick clouds of dust rising from the arena. Gaara's violent crash into the ground barely elicited gasps anymore.

That is—until the dust cleared.

A few sharp cries rang out from the stands.

"He used the sand gourd to shield himself?!" Neji, activating his Byakugan, was the first to fully understand what had happened. Even he was taken aback. He had never considered either of the two combatants on his level, yet now both were showcasing abilities that shook his confidence.

Gaara, flat on his back and panting, had indeed survived by cushioning himself with sand from his gourd. But his expression was anything but peaceful. As he glanced at the nearly unconscious Rock Lee, unable to move from the aftermath of the Eight Gates, his eyes gleamed with cold, lethal intent.

Raising one hand toward Lee, Gaara commanded his sand.

"Sand Coffin."

Sand whipped through the air and latched tightly onto Lee's left leg.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

"Not good."

He had seen enough. When Gaara showed no intention of stopping—when his sand began to creep into position for a killing blow—Kakashi's body tensed. But it was Might Guy who acted first.

With a single flash, Guy appeared in the arena, dispersing the sand Gaara had sent toward Lee.

"Bushy Brows!!"

"Lee!!"

Naruto and Tenten both leapt from the stands in a panic. Shikamaru, face tight with concern, followed behind.

"Don't move him!" Shikamaru barked just in time, stopping Tenten from trying to prop up Lee's limp body. "His bones could be broken all over—moving him recklessly could make things worse."

"I know some medical ninjutsu," he added, kneeling beside Lee.

Tenten hesitated, glancing at Guy. Only after receiving his nod did she step aside, allowing Shikamaru to kneel beside Lee.

With a focused expression, Shikamaru formed a series of hand seals. Soft green chakra began to glow from his palms as he pressed them gently against Lee's leg. Though never trained as a dedicated medical ninja, Shikamaru had picked up first-aid techniques during his time studying under Chiba Gen. It wasn't much—but enough to slow the bleeding and stabilize Lee's condition until help arrived.

Naruto fidgeted anxiously nearby, chewing on his lip.

"How is he, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth but hesitated.

He wanted to answer honestly—but he wasn't qualified to diagnose something this severe. The truth was grim: Lee's leg had been pulverized. Opening the Gates had already torn muscle and ligament. Gaara's Sand Coffin had crushed the bones completely. Sharp fragments of bone had splintered into surrounding tissue and nerves. Some had even pierced the skin—protruding like jagged white shards. Blood continued to spill freely.

With Konoha's current medical capabilities, keeping Lee alive wouldn't be an issue.

But saving his leg?

That was a different story.

Just then, the medical team arrived with a stretcher. The lead medic sighed with relief to see Shikamaru only applying chakra to reduce bleeding and not attempting more. They quickly took over, easing Shikamaru aside and surrounding Lee with practiced precision.

One medic began scanning Lee's condition using medical chakra. As he probed deeper into Lee's battered frame, his face darkened. After a pause, he turned to Guy.

"You're his jōnin sensei, correct?"

Guy nodded grimly.

"Then I should tell you… he'll live. But the damage to his leg is… extensive. It's unlikely he'll ever move like he used to again."

His tone was soft—but the message was clear.

Rock Lee's future as a shinobi was in jeopardy.

Unless Guy intended to make Lee into a crippled legend, there was no realistic path forward for the same taijutsu-driven ninja. And Guy, no matter how much he loved Lee, would never allow him to risk his life in vain.

Despite the intensity of the match, the Chūnin Exam Preliminaries had to continue.

As Lee was carried away on a stretcher and Gaara slowly returned to the stands, Hayate Gekkō stepped forward once more.

"We will now proceed with the final match of the preliminary round."

Only three genin remained:

Neji Hyūga, Shikamaru Nara, and Chōji Akimichi.

Neji and Shikamaru—both widely considered the most promising newcomers in Konoha—had many eyes watching them. The tension in the arena rose as everyone waited for the final matchup to appear.

And then—

Shikamaru Nara vs. Neji Hyūga

"Yesss!" came an unexpected shout.

Chōji had jumped up from his seat, arms raised high in celebration. The mood of the crowd was tense, but Chōji grinned shamelessly.

With his name excluded from the final round, he had, at last, dodged the fight he'd been dreading.

(The Chūnin Exam Preliminaries are finally coming to a close. Each battle may seem long, but every one of them has a purpose in this story. You'll understand why soon. Stay with me—it's worth it.)